Walla-Walla-Bing-Bang: Informative Blog Post #1

This will be the first in a series of posts about the ingredients in certain cleaning products and how they compare with our products. It's all well and good to say that haeven's products are worth purchasing because of their all-natural, eco-friendly ingredients, but I'd like to put a some of my fact-finding behind that claim.

So, here goes:

Ah, laundry detergents. You know all the great the brands; I won’t name them here. I probably can't name them here without having to pay some big time lawyer for the privledge. It seems that, now more than ever, the top big brands are coming out with more and more products designed to be more and mroe attractive to us poor folks who just want to have some clean drawers. I admit that I’m a sucker for a cool looking package and a new idea. I’ve bought more than my share of “new and improved” laundry detergents.

One day, while I was bored in the laundromat, I flipped a container of liquid detergent over and looked at the ingredients. Call me curious, but I wanted to know what made this $7 bottle of detergent better than that $7 bottle of detergent. This is what I saw:

Biodegradable surfactants (anionic and nonionic) and enzymes.


Thanks for the info, big corporate companies. You’re telling me a lot. Wait; let me get my scientific dictionary.

Oh, wow, look! My clothes are so clean! So bright! So white. Okay, I guess that biodegradable whatchamajiggs are okay, aren’t they? Then I saw something else, tucked inbetween all those big ole words that turned my head even further toward 180 degrees:


Fluorescent optical brighteners. Yup. I mean, I know what fluorescent and optical and brightener mean, but when you put them together what do you get? Pancakes?


Okay, so I went looking around the interwebs; because you can believe anything you find on the interwebs, right? In this case, I might as well have climbed some mountain in Tibet and asked the old guy I found at the top. My eyes crossed when I saw the pictures of molecules and words like “ultravioletabsorbing whatsamajiggyalyzer”. So I went to my favorite place; Wikipedia. It may have its problems, but it does break things down into simple language.

Kind of like the way biodegradable surfactants break down… oh, wait, that’s another article.

A fluorescent optical brightener, in common parlance, is a chemical that some companies use to treat clothing so that whites look whiter. You read that right. Look whiter; not be whiter. They “are dyes that absorb light in the UV and violet region of the electromagnetic spectrum, and re-emit light in the blue region.” It makes materials look less yellow by increasing the amount of blue light reflected.
Seriously. A chemical that makes your clothes glow blue-white? Like Photoshop™ for your Maytag™.Think about that; I’ll wait.

I won’t even cover the idea that these are unknown chemicals; unknown because they don’t list them anywhere but on their MSDS sheets. That’s another post all together.




So, about those brighteners. I like my skivvie's nice and white like the next guy, but I'm not going to depend on a dubious set of chemicals to do it for me.

I'll stick with my three ingredients, thanks. At least I know this won't happen the next time I get my undies in a bunch:

Later taters!

Next time: Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Sporadic, Anyone?


Yes, it's been a while. Been taking a quick mental health break and getting over the flu, but I'm slowly getting back to normal.

While I've had the flu, I did no creating for two reasons: 1) who wants to create when your head is pounding like a bass drum and 2) i don't want to have to ship out flu cooties. i'm nice like that.

It's super-dooper early in the neighborhood, but I wanted to get the Artisans of the Day under my belt before I got distracted with other things.

So, without further ado (seriously? ado?), here they are:

ArtFire Artisan of the Day

Usually, when I see something labeled "Steampunk", I end up giving it the greasy eyeball and moving on, but this I couldn't resist. I could totally see a young lassy astride a steam powered iron horse wearing this lovely from dymacreations. If I had the spare money laying about I'd buy it for myself. A true piece of millinery artwork!

Etsy Artisan of the Day

This beautiful piece also gave me pause; how serendipitous that it was newly listed. I could see this on the film-set of The Mummy around Rachel Weisz's neck (or in John Hanna's pocket). Go check out the other lovelies in CosmicFirefly's shop... much ooh-ing and aah-ing will be done over there.

Okay, it's back to bed for me for a little while; despite how things look, 6am is just not my cup of mud. Later taters!

Where the *bleep* have I been!


I've been quite ninja-like lately with my lurking! Had to take a few days off for brain-health, but I'm coming back! A small down-turn on the depression scale can be rough; I hope to be picking up the energy soon!

Still preparing for the Little Black Box and I can't wait! As soon as the packaging comes in I'll give you a little taste of what's coming.

I have to say, confession-style, that I'm falling a bit behind on my customer service skills, so for anyone out there who is suffering, I humbly apologize.


Business wise, I'm in possession of a cute little camera that I bought from -- of all places -- eBay. For those of you who missed it, my little Tiny Dancer destroyed my previous camera. I believe she wanted to see if i could drink juice... in any case, I'll be spending the weekend photographing all the cool things I've been creating and re-opening the shop to the public.

I've also been thinking about creating some informational posts about the "green world" for my blog to make it a bit less "all about me" and more "all about green". If you have any ideas, give me a holler. I think the first article will be about some of the ingredients I use in my cleaning products.

Okay, off to what I like best about posting -- the Artisans of the Day!

Etsy Artisan of the Day


I normally don't look on the front page for my Artisan of the Day, but I couldn't resist this brooch because this is my newest obsession -- my beautiful sewing machine! Chatnoir77 created this cutie from many hours of practice with wire and check it out -- it has a wooden spool! Great gift for the sewing-enthusiast in your life!

ArtFire Artisan of the Day


To be fair, I took the ArtFire Artisan of the Day from the Front Page as well, but it wasn't hard when I saw this great piece, called the Harmony Ring. This is a great piece for those who like to wear the big and bold jewelry! Sterling silver rings and springs make this a true conversation piece. I totally envy the photography skills of inbalbittan -- as well as that stunningly classic manicure!

A bit of opining... ArtFire has been getting a lot of guff lately and while I completely understand, I have to say that growing pains can sometimes be felt by all. I don't have an inside track on ArtFire's business growth, but I'm guessing that in order for ArtFire to have a larger presence on the interwebz -- therefore bringing all of us sellers more traffic -- they have to grow a bit to be more competitive.

I have both a free shop and a verified shop on ArtFire, and I do appreciate the ability to list more items in the free shop -- it's a temporary shop, set up to destash some of the jewelry supplies in my inventory. In any shop, you got to keep the front window fresh, and with this economy, people are more discriminating when they shop. I think the unlimited listings will give all of us the much needed boost in traffic this holiday season.

As well, the Verified Seller can't beat the extra goodies we get by paying the monthly rate. It's a key budgeting factor when trying to figure out your overhead. And I love the flexibility of being able to adjust the look of my "permanent" shop.

Okay, enough soapbox rambling... go check out those Artisans of the Day and enjoy!

till later, taters!

Artisans of the Day - September 30, 2009

It's that time again, folks! With everyone gearing up massively early for the holidays (didn't we used to start that in October before???), shops are getting packed to the brim with winning goodies!











Artfire Artisan of the Day

Artfire's artisan of the day should be Artfire itself for the new Shop Importer Tool, but I digress.


I know it's easy to stop off at the department store for a cheapie hat for the fall & winter, but why do that when you can have something beautiful, handmade that will last for season after season. With 2 kids, I know the allure of stopping at WallyWorld for a $2.00 hat, but that hat usually falls apart before the winter is out. This Navy Blue with Yellow Stripe Hand Knit Hat - Medium by Rainwolf is a perfect edition to your cold-weather wardrobe.

Etsy Artisan of the Day

Etsy is down for maintenance, so I can't find any goodies for you today... ah, well.


Later, taters!

Artisans of the Day - September 25, 2009


And the coolness doesn't stop.

I had to work early yesterday, so I didn't get a chance to share the Artisans of the day with you, but I'm back and they're neat!





Etsy Artisan of the Day

I think this is a great tribute to those first responders out there who deserve more props than anyone I know.

Defining the Life of a Paramedic Artful Hardware Pendant from COGnitivecreations


Artfire Artisan of the Day

The only thing I can use to describe this handmade lampwork bead is OMG. It always amazes me how people have the patience and talent to do this.

Green Tea Orbit Focal Bead from BadgerBeads


Okay, all check you later!

Artisans of the Day - September 23, 2009


<---- See that? That's how cool these artisans are for today. I promised to go back to showing off the Artisans who Rock My Socks, so here I am. Now, I pick these at total random, using the various search tools on Etsy and Artfire ... just to prove those search tools actually work!









Etsy Artisan of the Day



I'm not a Mac(tm) person ... yet ... but this necklace is very, very neat! It's made of white acrylic and at a chilly-cool $20, you can't beat the geekdom involved.

apple / ctrl-z / undo acrylic necklace (white) from plastique



Artfire Artisan of the Day


Can we say kismet??? Like I said, I pick these randomly ... but look at that! Yes, this is a supply, but the seller also makes beautiful jewelry. I just couldn't resist this!

10 pcs Antique Brozne Chinese Knot Connector/Link from studio21

Until tomorrow later folks! Go do like Fergie says and "Check it owwwt!"

Yes, haeven does windows....


No, that's not me, that's a beauty painted by the great pin-up artists Elvgren... though it would be nice.

Now, here's a product launch I've been looking forward to! I finally released by Floor and Glass Cleaner to the wide world. I tested this on various and sundry glass and floor surfaces and am satisfied that you'll enjoy it as much as I did!

Now, this isn't for wood floors... that product will come later, but it will tidy up those bathroom and kitchen floors right nice, and what it does for glass... well if it can remove cocoa butter lotion from a bathroom mirror (I have a 4 year old, don't ask), well you just have to have it.


And check these cuties out. I've decided to give everyone a truly unique way to carry around their laundry washing powder... I've loaded up 32 loads of my powder into this great reusable lined drawstring, and you're off to the laundromat in style.

The bag is lined with repurposed plastic (finally found a good use for those grocery bags my un-enlightened husband and brother-in-law keeps bringing home), so they are water resistant. They're also washable -- though not dryer safe -- so you can change up scents easily.

Speaking of scents, I've expanded my line of washing powder scents. Now you can get:

lavender/chamomile
lavender
chamomile
black tea
sandalwood
asian citrus
sunflower
dark ginger
and the usual regular scent.

So, yes, very happy and very accomplished today. Now I have to decide whether I'm really going to be able to put together 300 samples for an event. It's a hard decision, because it's connected to a relatively prestigious company, but I don't want to half-a$$ it, you know.

I'll be back on Monday with my Artisans of the Day. I really miss sharing them with you; and now that I'm feeling more sociable, I should get back to sharing.

And all the people said "Woot!"


Got the cotton muslin I'd ordered yesterday, so I'm ready for the new product design. I have to say that NauvooQuiltCompany is a great seller. I can't wait to need more muslin so I can go back and buy more.

Got an email today asking about the laundry powder in the little milk cartons. I'm interested in seeing if she wants to purchase some -- thank God I didn't throw them out. If any of your remember, I used to package the laundry powders in tiny little milk cartons. With that request, I'm thinking of offering it as a gift selection. However, the new packaging I'm developing will be a big hit, I'm hoping.

I'm currently doing the infamous 'nanner dance...

Because these little babies are all done!

This was a custom order for an Etsy seller who needed sachets as gifts. There are 26 finished sachets here, completed in 2 1/2 days.

For the deets: They are made from fabric chosen by the customer, sized approx. 4" x 4". They are made with cotton wool and scented flaxseed (these are made with lavender scent). The cotton wool gives it the "fluff", the flaxseed is the power pack of scent.

They are washable, but they should be washed in the delicate cycle and not dried in the dryer!
I'm going to be offering similar sachets -- called Stress Sachets -- very soon in my shop. You'll be able to pop it in your pocket, your purse, where ever you want to have a release from stress.

If you want some sachets like these custom made -- because I found I absolutely LOVED making them -- email me at ha.ven@live.com or convo me at my Etsy or Artfire Shops.

Yes, I have other talents....


Crocheting for example. I learned to crochet many, many moons ago from my mother, and I thought I'd forgotten. A few false starts later and now I'm crocheting like my fingers are on fire!

Check out this new Kitchen Cloth Set over @ haeven. I have 2 sets of this particular color, complete with dishcloth and pot scrubbies. These are lightweight but strong, made of 100% cotton wool!

Well, off to get the laundry from the dryer and chase my little tiny dancer away from my bento supplies!

Okay, so well...


The AP Cleaner formula is phail. A re-formulation is necessary, so the cleaning product line will launch on September 7.
The mess crystallized in the container and turned into an ugly mess. Gotta love handmade. I know what went wrong, so a fix is easy to do.
In other words, that is my FAVORITE PHAIL picture of all time. Seriously?
Giveaway winner announcement either later today or tomorrow. TTYL.

1 hour of production work and voila!


I've finished two BIG batches of my concentrated cleaning products. It was fun watching the sodium carbonate react with the citric acid.

The item to the left is my new best friend. Yes, it is a smoothie maker. I bought a used one at a yard sale, cleaned and sterlized it and now I have the perfect mixer for my stuff. It also pulverizes the soap for the laundry detergent thanks to the ice crusher. This thing is the perfect emulsifier.

In making the AP cleaner, it was fun watching the sodium carbonate react with the citric acid in the water. I remember my old biology class days. That's going to be some serious grease cutting power for the kitchen.

Anyhoo, I will be packaging my new product line over the weekend, hopefully in time for the September 1 launch. I'll also announce the winner of my giveaway as well, and offer up my feature article. Wow, I'm a busy bee!

Catch you all later!

Catch a Sneak Peak!


Have a sneak peak at the new containers for the cleaning line, launching on or around September 1.

I'll be formulating the formulas this weekend; adding a lingerie liquid and the dryer sheet refresher spray as well!

I hope you enjoy the new products!

Get Ready 'Cause Here I Come...

So, on or about Sept. 1, I'll be launching the household cleaning line, and I'm really excited! I've purchased all the little containers I'll need for the initial launch (thanks, hubby!) and this week is going into making the actual products. These products have already been tested (in my own crazy house, of course) and they have wonderful results!


I plan on having the following in the line:
  • Glass/Floor Cleaner
  • Kitchen/Bathroom Cleaner
  • Dishwashing Powder (for machine and hand) - this is a tricky one!
  • Carpet Freshener
  • Pot Scrubbies and Dishclothes
  • Re-usable "paper" towels
Since I've been totally obsessed with my new knitting looms, I've created the first set of scrubbies/dishcloths and am working on the second! I actually have two of the looms going at once (one for the set and one for my son's winter scarf) and I'm crocheting scrubbies like a mad woman.

Not everything will be available on Sept 1, but look forward to some great products and a kickin' giveaway! Speaking of giveaways... don't forget that the one I have down here will end on August 31. Then it's off to getting ready to offer samples in the Little Black Box! Whee!

Later all!

Pack 'em up and Ship 'em out!


So, do you have little 'uns getting ready for school? Or big 'uns finalizing their college preparations? Well, get your sale on!

haeven is having a Back to School sale @ Etsy and Artfire! This is a great opportunity to send your college kids out eco-friendly and green, or a great time to start yourself on a eco path.

Everything is marked down 25% off; and if you purchase a passle of items, I'll ship it for a flat rate via USPS Priority Mail. If you're interested in a Gift Set, please convo me! I'll get a nice set together for a great price.

In other news, I've chosen for my September Feature! The shop is HolisticallyHeather. She has some great products to share and I'm looking forward to hearing from her.

So, go skeedadle on over to haeven and check out holisticallyheather as well!

August Blog Giveaway!

It's that time again!

I'm going to give away another "Taste of Haeven Gift Set" to one lucky reader.

I'm a trivia-geek (as readers of my other blogs can tell), so this time I'm going to give you guys a trivia question to answer. I'll pick at random out of the correct answers on August 31.




What will you get?


A little sample of everything Haeven has to offer right now, all waiting for you!

Now, what's the trivia question?

For what product was the first jingle heard on television for?

a. Murphy's Oil Soap
b. Ivory Soap
c. Ajax
d. Mr. Clean

Good luck!

Oh, yeah... feel free to follow my blog and tweet about this giveaway. All runners up that do this will get a $5.00 gift card from my shop. If you follow and/or tweet, leave me a comment with the appropriate links.

Samples are Cool!


I went ahead and did it: I've launched my line of dryer sheets with this sample size offering. If you read my previous post, you'll see all about my trial.

I've posted a picture of a sheet before and after use in the listing (which I'm offering on Etsy and Artfire). I have to say I'm proud of this little guy. The idea of a sheet that replaces those chemical sheets in the store, and still takes care of both issues in drying... I've been picking with this for some time.

I hope you'll give them a try.

Now, it's time to work on a moist dryer sheet. Because these



have to go.

Product Testing - Dryer Sheets #1


I've finally finished the creation of my cool, new dryer sheets, and as I had a few loads of laundry to do, decided to test one out today.

I took an "oopsie" sheet (one where the stitches looked like my 4 year old did them) and tossed it in with the light colored clothes. I use a public laundry room in my apartment, and I set the dryer on high (whites). I did the dark colored clothes without a sheet and, of course, I used my regular scent laundry detergent to wash.

The dryer is automatically set for 54 minutes, so I left my clothes downstairs and crossed my fingers, and came upstairs to work on some more. Wow... let's just say that the stitches on most of them were... wooow... so expect some "oopsies" on sale as samples.

So, when the clothes came out, the first thing I did was smell them. Not much scent, but the clothes with the dryer sheet certainly smelled... fresher than the clothes without the dryer sheet. And that's saying a lot, because my regular scent laundry detergents leaves a great, neutral scent behind. Some of the clothes picked up the scent, slightly, some did not. So I'm thinking that you'll need to toss two into a regular load.

The clothes with the dryer sheet were also softer than the clothes without -- the reason for that will be shared when I finally finish testing and finally put them up for sale. Static was non-existent.

Results? I'm going to expand the pack to a four-pack (instead of a 3-pack). I'm already shipping them in a re-usable Hefty(tm) Zip-Lock freezer bag (they're thicker), with a little square of extra scent power tucked inside. This should help intensify the scent; as well, I'm going to offer little bottles of scent spray (which, unlike my linen spray, will NOT contain alcohol), with each pack.

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the turn out. I'll be listing samples soon that you can purchase for $2.00 for each one. They won't have the spray, but they will have the scent power square and a coupon for $1.00 off a full pack.

Of course, I'll always look for feedback from my customers; they are the final judges of all my products.

I hope when these sheets join the product line, you will like them as much as all of my products!

Black Friday




Y'all know what I'm talking about. Looks a little something like this


<----- And, yes, I'm talking about it now -- in August, three months before our actual Black Friday.

One wonders whether people will actually participate in Black Friday this years, with the economy sucking wind the way it is. One wonders whether people will even participate in Cyber Monday.



I think people will, despite themselves. The sales on Black Friday are almost too good to resist. I know my silly behind will stand in a line at you-know-where at 6:00am, just to get my shop on. I'll even hang out at my online haunts to see what's going on there as well. Hopefully my suppliers will jump on the wagon and give us crafters some supplies at some good prices.



I used to work in retail. As a cashier/CS Associate/whipping girl for ignorant customers, I hated BF. I actually disliked the entire Holiday Shopping Season, which, by the time I left the industry, started in October.



That said, I think that we online sellers need to gird our loins and get to gettin' ready to convince those poor folk who brave the hordes to take it easy and shop online. And I think we should do it earlier than the Brick & Mortar shops.



One of the reasons that Black Friday got its name was that it was considered the one day where most retailers when from being "in the red" (losing profit) to being "in the black" (gaining profit). Why can't the online handmade industry do the same?



Here's the idea:



I'm making plans to start a massive campaign, getting potential customers ready to storm Etsy and Artfire on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I say massive because I want to bring some of you along.



I'm thinking of maybe a coupon book of sorts, something we all can sell/promote in our shops, chock full of coupons, samples and savings that can be used during this awesome weekend. I'll be happy (read: crazy) enough to handle the fulfillment of the orders we all receive right out of my house -- I even have a place cleared out just for storage. So I don't get overwhelmed, I'm probably going to limit it to 50 people from each venue. I've even got a wonderful spot just cleared up in my room I can dedicate to this venture.



If you are at all interested in contributing either samples OR coupons, or even help with the shipping of the books/samples, go ahead and comment here or email me at ha.ven@live.com. I'm going to develop some guidelines over the weekending and have them ready by Monday.

I'm serious. I would hate for Wally-World to look like this


and for our shops to look like this

Wanted: YOU for my September Feature


I want to feature your "green" shop in my blog!

I'm always babbling about haeven in my blog, and I realized that there are TONS of other eco-friendly, green shops out there that need lurve. So I want to feature one of them each month in my blog. I'm going to choose a category and all shops who feature these products are free to comment here to be featured! I'll choose one at random on August 20 for my September 1 blog post. You can have a shop in any selling venue, but I will only feature one of your shops!

The "green" category for this month coming will be:

Eco-friendly feminine products. (Stop making the yucky faces guys!). This is such an unsung category in the green world, I want to feature a shop that takes care of the ladies!

So comment below and good luck!

At Last....


I've finally managed to scrape away some time to make and post 16-load powdered laundry detergent! And can I say, to those who think food processors are the way to go for grating/mixing the soap bars... my blender is now my best friend. I grated 8 four-ounce blocks of soap in under 10 minutes! The Ice Chop feature is a soaper's best friend. As long as you don't leave it on too long (there is a liquefy setting, after all), you're good to go. And it's cheaper to buy than a big ole food processor.

So finally, I can move on to some other things -- namely my new dryer sheet design. I can't say much about it now, other than it's going to be unlike any dryer sheet I've seen around.

The laundry detergent is a "pick your own scent" listing; I prefer to mix the larger batches upon order so that the scent is more powerful and longer lasting. I did get feed back that the scent on the samplers wasn't lasting long, but that's probably because I'm paranoid about making my products too smelly. You can take your pick of "flavors" as it were: Regular, Lavender/Chamomile, Sandalwood, and Asian Citrus. The sandalwood is a strong, heady fragrance, great for the guys who like "manly" scented laundry detergent. It's in a spiffy little Ball/Mason(tm) jar, too, which is perfect for college dorms or house-sharing.

Now, about the ingredients... I use a soap base that has NO animal products in it; all vegans can get up and do the happy dance. And the fragrances do not contain alcohol of any kind. So, I could call this a halal product, but I'm not sure if I need special certifications to do that. Any Muslims are free to chime in. I'm trying to create products that all can use safely, especially those of us in the US, where certain restrictions are not always looked at.

How does it work? Simple. Fill your washer with your clothes, then start it. As soon as it's almost full of water, pour one tablespoon (2 for crazy big loads) into the water, not on the clothes. Then let it do its work. Amazing how 1 tablespoon can clean a full load of laundry and leave it good smelling too, but it works. This is great for High Efficiency washer, where less is definitely more. I've used it in all temps of water. For first time users, be aware that it does not suds much -- it's not suds that cleans your clothes, its the ingredients. You'll notice the difference when you pull out your clothes to put them in the dryer. If you choose regular scent, you'll notice that you just smell clean clothes; no lasting funk, no crazy, flowery smells, nothing but clean.

Now, since all children and gone from the house (the elder on teen stuff, the younger with papi for dinner), I'm going to go an enjoy my television for the first time in eons. Wish me luck!

I'm promise... I'll stop now... Really. No, Really.



I know; I'm a sad sort. Now that I know how to upload templates on Blogger, I've uploaded about 8,838,399,817 templates. However, I do believe I've found one that actually looks decent. It reminds me of a household planner, and I suppose that would be appropos for a blog that talks about home products. Ya know?

So what else is new? I'll be on vacation from the "day job" next week and I've promised to work on haeven products then. I've got some cool products bubbling in my brain that need to see the light of day. I'm hoping y'all will like them as much as you apparently like the products up. Yes, I know, barebones at the site and all that, but I'm figuring I'll go for QUALITY over QUANTITY these days.

And now I'm faced with the big "fulfillment" test. I've got some packages to go out as well, and I'm promising they are going out this week.

Now, for a little shop talk. OMG, I once again proved the absolute wonderfulness of my Floor and Glass Cleaner! My daughter (let's call her Tiny Dancer, because that's what she is), spread cocoa butter lotion all over my bathroom mirror. The good kind, Palmer's? You know the brand. I stared at it for a while, partially in horror, partially not surprised at all (because who was the idiot who left the lotion out where she could reach it? You guessed it.) Then I grabbed my spray bottle of Floor and Glass Cleaner and went to work. Did it work? Hellz yeah. Not even a streak. I'll probably do a little video re-creating the incident and post it here. So, September 1st, be first in line for the Floor and Glass cleaner. It rocks!

Also, coming September 1, I'll be starting to do a feature blog on different handmade "green" shops, from Etsy, Artfire, wherever you exist. If you're even vaguely interested, go ahead and drop me a line at ha.ven@live.com. Hopefully, this will help build my readership and get this little guy off the ground.

Later, taters!

Great Ideas and Winners




So I'm ready to announce the winner of the "Taste of haeven" giveaway.





But first, I wanted to share some of the ideas that you all came up with and the status of some of them:





1. "Bounce" type dryer sheets - I'm actually working on some kind of moist dryer sheet. Ever since Arm & Hammer came out with it, I've been itching to create something similar, so that one is in research & development.





2. Eco-Friendly Clothing Dye - Not sure how to go about this one. This one will have to wait for when the R&D department has a bit of a bigger budget.





3. Allergy-friendly products for the laundry room, like dryer sheets or clothing refreshers like "dryel" - definiately in development. I'm working on a dryer sheet/sachet that is different from any you've seen before -- even in my shop.





4. Fruit Scented haevenScent linen spray - Definately! I'm in the process of getting some more fragrance oils/essential oils to add to the repetoire. The sky will soon be the limit!





5. Eco-friendly bubble-bath - You took the words right out of my mouth. Coming late this year/early next year, haeven will be having a Bath and Body line to die for!





6. Lingerie gentle detergent - While my laundry powder is gentle enough for those unmentionables, I hear ya. Next week I will be tinkering around with a LIQUID for those pretty frilly things (even the ones with skulls on them!)





7. More variety in your sachet selection - that's only part of my busy schedule. I have a few other scents ready to go online, I just have to photgraph them. Again next week I have a great vacation from the "day" job, so haeven is getting tons of attention!





So now, without further ado, and babbling from me (because of course you know I'm stalling), here's the winner!




who has an ArtFire shop as well!

She will be contacted shortly and will get the Gift Set

Thank you everyone for the entering and for your ideas and feedback -- you definitely be seeing your ideas crop up in the shop soon.

A New Giveaway for a New Look!


That's right! I'm ready to have the first "A Taste of Haeven" Giveaway. The new products rock so much that I want to give everyone an opportunity to try them... for free!









The Taste of Haeven Gift Set contains a wonderfully generous sample of all of our current products! You'll get a nice 8-load sample of our laundry powder (regular scent), a 2 ounce sample of our haeven Scent freshener spray in your choice of scent (Lav/Cham, Black Tea, Sandalwood, or Asian Citrus) and one of our smaller sample size Sachet from haeven (again in your choice of scent). All of it comes in a cute little bag and the laundry powder comes with a scoop.

Now, all you have to do to have a chance to win this set (valued at $11.25) is to comment below with the type of Eco-friendly items you would like to see in our shop! Either leave your shop/username or your email. I'll only use the email to contact you if you've won -- so make sure if it's not your main email then it's an email you do check.

On July 31, I'll pick a person at random and announce it in a post here!



good luck!

Gentlemen (and Ladies), Start Your Engines....

What a wonderfully positive re-start to the shop. Already have four sales in two days, and they are already packaged and labels are printed and they are ready to go!
I learned so much during the debacle of GFT. First and foremost; just package the items as soon as you get the sale. Don't put it off to mail on one singular day of the week.

Second; free shipping sucks! Unless you're shipping something that is so light that you can afford to absorb the cost (or incorporate the cost into the price) -- for me that's less than $2 -- then you MUST charge shipping. The only time when free shipping will work if if the customer purchases so much that the cost of shipping is negligible in comparison to the price that was just paid. Did that make sense?


Okay, so now, I have to chirp and preen about the new products, the new packaging, the whole new attitude:




Laundry Detergent - 8 Load Sampler - $3.75

Okay, this is the first product available. It's the new laundry powder. This sample size offering is actually four 2-load samples of our four fragrances. The new formulation is made with a soap that contains NO SLS, SLES, Sodium Tallowate or any animal products. Yay for vegan laundry soap. I'm still toying with the idea of offering a "heavy-duty" laundry detergent for those scary loads (like husband's work uniforms, kid's sport uniforms, etc), but for now, this will work for just about everything from diapers to regular laundry. Soon, these will come in packages of 16 and 32 loads.



haeven Scent Linen Spray - 2 oz sample - $3.75

I love this product. I love the way the packaging came out and I love the smell! This is linen spray; however you can use for wherever you need freshness! Three of the fragrances match the scents of the laundry powder, and I've added the wonderful smokiness of Black Tea to the bunch. Now both bachelors and -ettes can have cool smelling bachelor pads. This is a sampler of 2 ounces of spray (wow! that 's a whole lot!). I'll have 8 ounce refill bottles available soon.


What's coming next? Well, I'm working on a laundry sachet. I'm trying to give it a unique but functional look, so we'll see how that works out.

Then, hopefully, the sky will be the limit. This time I have better focus and a more positive attitude about being able to do it all! Here's to hoping that the books match my happy mood by the end of the month; that's when I meet with Husband-Man the Accountant. Maybe I'll be able to make it a date night...

Well, have a great weekend all! Don't forget:
Every new day opens a new window of opportunity; make the most of it!